BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9

Manage allergen risks across raw materials, production, cleaning, and labelling to prevent cross contamination.

• Allergen risk assessment
• Allergen segregation procedure
• Cleaning validation for allergens
• Label verification log

• Allergen cleaning not validated
• No ATP allergen specific test

Conduct vulnerability assessment for food fraud and verify claims such as organic, kosher, halal, and origin.

• VACCP vulnerability assessment
• Certificates supporting claims
• Mass balance records

• No VACCP done
• Origin claims not substantiated

Operate validated foreign body detection equipment including metal detection, x ray, or other technology with documented verification.

• Detection equipment list
• Calibration certificates
• Verification check records
• Reject mechanism test log

• Reject mechanism not tested per shift
• No alarm on detector failure

Control physical, chemical, and biological contamination risks including glass, hard plastic, wood, knives, lubricants, and chemicals.

• Glass and brittle plastic register
• Knife control log
• Chemical inventory
• Breakage incident records

• No glass register
• Unauthorised chemicals on site

Maintain documented product withdrawal and recall procedures tested at least annually with mock exercise.

• Recall procedure
• Mock recall records
• Crisis team contact list

• Contact list out of date
• No 24 hour contacts

Maintain a documented plan to develop and maintain a positive food safety and quality culture, with measurable activities.

• Culture plan with KPIs
• Employee survey results
• Culture activities log

• Culture plan generic not site specific
• No KPIs measured

Conduct a documented food defence threat assessment and implement controls preventing intentional contamination.

• TACCP threat assessment
• Access control records
• Visitor log

• No TACCP done
• Site perimeter accessible

Establish a multidisciplinary HACCP team and document prerequisite programmes covering cleaning, pest control, maintenance, and personal hygiene.

• HACCP team list and qualifications
• PRP manuals
• Training records for HACCP team

• Single person HACCP team
• PRPs not validated

Conduct hazard analysis covering biological, chemical, physical, and allergen hazards for each product or product group.

• Hazard analysis worksheets
• Process flow diagrams
• Decision tree records

• Allergens not addressed in hazard analysis
• Process flow outdated

Identify CCPs with validated critical limits, monitoring procedures, and corrective actions for each.

• CCP determination records
• Validation studies
• Monitoring records
• Corrective action log

• No validation of critical limits
• Monitoring frequency inadequate

Implement cleaning schedules with validated cleaning instructions and verified effectiveness through environmental monitoring.

• Cleaning schedules
• Cleaning instructions per area
• ATP or microbiological swab results
• Chemical safety data sheets

• Cleaning verified only visually
• No environmental monitoring programme

Maintain a fully documented food safety and quality management system available to relevant staff.

• FSQMS manual
• Document control register
• Document review log

• Obsolete documents in use
• No version control

Conduct a programme of internal audits covering all aspects of the standard at minimum frequency with trained auditors.

• Internal audit schedule
• Audit reports
• Auditor qualifications
• Corrective action records

• Audits done by area owners
• Findings not closed

Calibrate measurement and monitoring equipment used to verify food safety against traceable standards.

• Equipment register
• Calibration certificates
• Calibration schedule

• Thermometers not calibrated
• No traceable standards

Ensure packaging is fit for purpose, food contact compliant, and meets product specification including migration testing where relevant.

• Packaging specifications
• Food contact declarations
• Migration test reports

• No food contact compliance evidence
• Packaging changes not validated

Train personnel on food safety, hygiene, allergens, and job specific tasks with documented competency.

• Training matrix
• Training records
• Competency assessment
• Refresher schedule

• No refresher training
• Agency staff untrained

Implement personal hygiene standards including handwashing, protective clothing, jewellery restrictions, and medical screening.

• Hygiene policy
• Handwash verification records
• PPE issue log
• Health questionnaire

• No medical questionnaire on return to work
• Jewellery rules not enforced

Implement an effective pest management programme either in house or via a contractor with documented monitoring and trending.

• Pest control contract
• Bait station map
• Inspection reports
• Trend analysis

• No trend analysis
• Bait stations missing or unmapped

Document process specifications and operate within them with deviation procedures and product release controls.

• Process specifications
• Production records
• Deviation reports
• Release procedure

• Production records incomplete
• No formal release

Implement product development procedures including formulation, shelf life validation, and labelling verification.

• Product specifications
• Shelf life studies
• Label approval records

• No shelf life validation
• Allergen declarations missing

Senior site management demonstrates commitment to the BRCGS standard, food safety culture, and continual improvement.

• Food safety policy signed by senior management
• Management review minutes
• Resource allocation records

• No documented management review
• Policy not reviewed annually

Site must be located, constructed, and maintained to prevent contamination and enable production of safe legal product.

• Site plan
• Zone map
• Building maintenance log

• No zoning between raw and ready to eat
• Roof leaks unaddressed

Approve suppliers of raw materials, packaging, and outsourced services based on risk assessment and ongoing performance monitoring.

• Approved supplier list
• Supplier risk assessments
• Audit or certification evidence
• Performance scorecards

• No risk assessment for new suppliers
• Certificates expired

Trace product one step forward and one step back, with traceability tests demonstrating recovery within four hours.

• Traceability procedure
• Traceability test records
• Mock recall results

• Traceability not tested with finished product
• Test exceeds four hours